Hi Folks,
I'm planning to replace my current very dated concrete/tile front porch (images below) with timber, and looking for some advice, so hoping someone here might be able to help.
I've read lots of articles on BW about building decks over concrete - however, most of them have enough clearance to build directly on the concrete, using either plastic footings or angle brackets. In our case, it looks like the porch was originally built by pouring a raised section of the concrete slab (approx 80 mm high) and then sticking tiles directly onto it, and painting the sides. Therefore in order to get enough clearance to put joists in, I'm assuming the current concrete footing will need to be removed, most likely with a jack hammer.
The main questions I have:
1 - Is there a way to remove just the tiles and affix decking boards using the concrete as a footing? (I'm guessing this is very unlikely)
2 - If the concrete does need to come out, do I just need to take off the existing 80mm, or should I take out more to leave additional clearance? (the smallest joist dimensions I have seen in the guides are 70 x 35, so 80 mm wouldn't leave enough clearance for joists, plus decking boards)
3 - Is there a way to remove the concrete that will leave it flat/even enough to use as a base for the joists, without damaging the rest of the surrounding concrete?
(3b - If not, would I need to use something like Lanko 173 Floor Leveller to get an even surface to lay joists on, and will that be suitable for affixing into e.g. with Dynabolts etc? Or will the jackhammered surface need to be levelled off by grinding with a diamond concrete grinding disc?)
In terms of my DIY ability, I'd probably rate myself as intermediate - I've done plenty of small improvements over several years, including building a deck in the backyard, and have previously removed a concrete path in the backyard using a jackhammer.
